Text 24. Inquiries and Offers

Potential clients always want to know specific details of goods they want to buy. A letter written to a seller with the purpose of getting some information about the quality, price or the terms of delivery is known as a letter of inquiry. In some cases, such as a request for promotional materials, a recipient will have a clear interest in responding to you. In other cases, such as a request for some specific information on a product, he may not be as motivated to respond quickly. Consequently, always try to make the tone of the letter friendly and make it easy for the recipient to identify and to provide the information you need.

After receiving a letter of inquiry from the potential buyer, a seller supplies the relevant information by writing a quotation letter or an offer. In order to draw attention of customers to the products in question, a supplier in his letters can offer sales discounts or a colour chart. An offer is a statement made by sellers usually in a written form expressing their wish to sell the goods. Offers as a rule include the description of the goods, details of the prices, discounts and the terms of payment as well as the date or the time and the place of delivery.

There are two types of offers. A free offer is made when sellers offer goods to regular customers without waiting for an inquiry. A firm offer is a promise to supply goods on terms stated. This promise may be expressed in the following words: “We make you a firm offer for delivery by the middle of June at the price quoted” or in some other words like: “The offer is the subject to acceptance within five days”. The sellers making a firm offer have the right to withdraw it at any time before it has been accepted. In practice, however, no reputable seller would risk his reputation by withdrawing his offer before the stated time.

Questions for discussion:

1. What does a supplier usually do to draw attention of his customers?

2. What are the main rules of writing a letter of inquiry?

3. What is a letter of inquiry?

4. When will a recipient eagerly respond to the letter of inquiry?

5. What is an offer?

6. What types of offers do you know?

7. What can a seller include into his offer?

8. What is usually written in firm offers?

9. What right do sellers have making a firm offer?

10. How does a firm offer differ from the firm one?

Text 25. Orders and Reclamations

A business transaction often starts with a letter of inquiry followed by an order. Both inquiry and order stimulate business activity on the part of recipient. They are typically asking letters. Orders express the writer’s intention to do business with his correspondent usually by buying some goods from him. It should be mentioned that the supplier must send order acknowledgement as an answer.

The advice of dispatch follows the order acknowledgement. The first thing before writing such a letter is to examine carefully whether the partners’ account is valid. That is why, just in the first paragraph we often come across the phrase - “Your credit was confirmed by our bank yesterday”.

Reclamations or letters of complain request some sort of compensation for defective or damaged merchandise or for inadequate or delayed services. The essential rule in writing a complain letter is to maintain your poise and diplomacy no matter how justified your gripe is. Say exactly what compensation you desire. Provide a fully detailed narrative or description of the problem. Do not insist that the recipient have deliberately committed the error or that the company has no concern for the customers.

Letters that are written in response to claims may be called adjustments. They are among the most difficult to write as they require patience tact and diplomacy. The letters must be handled carefully when the requested compensation cannot be granted. The supplier must show his or her understanding of the situation and express his or her willingness to adjust it. Try to offer some practical or substitute compensation or give some friendly advice. Conclude the letter cordially expressing the confidence that you and the writer will continue doing business.

Questions for discussion:

1. What is the main goal of orders?

2. What type of business letters are orders?

3. What is the advice of dispatch?

4. What should you always remember writing the advice of dispatch?

5. What do reclamations request?

6. What is the main rule in writing a complain letter?

7. What facts should be mentioned in reclamations?

8. What should not be mentioned in reclamations?

9. How do we call letters written in response to claims?

10. Is it easy or difficult to write adjustments?